Sunday 30th

hmmmm what i got from todays sermon...

I liked where he talked about being yourself to others to show God to others. I always try to do that, fail as i might...

i want to share an excerpt from "Words to live by" by CS Lewis that i read on the way from the station.
It really connects well to what i learned today from sams sermon

under "Character":
Surely what a man does when he is taken off his guard is the best evidence for what sort of a man he is? Surely what pops out before the man has time to put on a disguise is the truth? If there are rats in a cellar you are most likely to see them if you go in very suddenly. But the suddenness does not create the rats: it only prevents them from hiding. In the same way the suddenness of the provocation does not make me an ill-tempered man: it only shows me what an ill-tempered man I am.

*clap clap clap* : )

This is very well put by my hommie' Lewis

Have a great week everyone

BYE HANNAH AND DENISE

in todays sermon i really liked how Sam said that we cant hide our real selves from God. Jesus knew everything about that samaritan woman and even though it was akward, shared God's love with her.
You know for some reason, i find it easier to tell others about God when im away. Like when i went to missions, when i go to a retreat, its so much easier for me to share God's word then, to share with them God's love. But i dont know why its so much harder for me at school... at work. I think thats something i was really jealous about when Sam pointed out that Esther would pray for her co workers at work. I dont seem to be as open with my friends at school and people at my work.
But i want to change that .
i want to be "the woman at the well" for someone closer to me, in my own place. Whether its at school or whatever.
Ive had so many people say to me "i can really see God shine in you" "I really see God's love through your actions and words" i dont take it as pride. But it got me thinking, if people see it at church, or at vision x.... do people see that same love and light through me at school even if im not talking the them directly about God? Do i seem different from non believers that they are friends with ?

it reminded me of this passage:

Treasures in Jars of Clay
1Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. 2Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. 3And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. 4The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake. 6For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"[a]made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
13It is written: "I believed; therefore I have spoken."[b]With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, 14because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. 15All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
16Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.


LOL man this was long, but it was SUCH a good sermon for me .

have a good week guys !
and i'll see you soon


BYE UNNI'S !!! be safe! ill be praying for youuu ^^

Sam said Whore, and slut, and many great things.

Yah, the word that stood out most for me was, like Grace mentioned, 'awkward'
MSN is a cheat kill-off that takes away awkwardness and you can't say some things you would on msn than in real life.
Also there's no awkward silence in between msn conversations.
I've reflected that being awkward is the step to all things, not just with people but even yourself.
I remember there was a time where i would stand in the congregation and i wouldn't sing because it was awkward. I would never raise my hands during praise, or get down on my knees because if i did it, it was awkward.
BUT Jesus is with you all the way remember that. I've learned that as you keep trying, the awkward moments will become habits and then they will not be awkward anymore.
i don't know, something i've reflected on!

So today, I thought Sam gave an amazing Sermon! The thing I liked about his sermon was the part when he talked about how nothing in this world was forever. When anyone would drink the water from the well, they would get thirsty again, however, if you received "living water" from God, you would never get thirsty again. So what I learned was, NOTHING in this world is forever. From the sermon, I can reflect to my life that nothing physical in this world is worth living for compared to God. The only thing that is Forever would be God. Today, when we sang that song "Forever" the lyrics go Forever God is faithful, Forever God is strong, Forever God is with us, Forever, Forever. So I thought it was sick how the song related to parts of Sam's sermon. So from now on, I can try to pay less attention to the world, and more for God.

loved today's sermon!
hahah KIDDIE PORN. yes, jacob. sam did say many great things today..
I really loved the sermon about living water.. It's not the first time I heard it, but every time it gets better... Sam talked about how everything else is sure to run dry.. EVERYTHING. I remember him repeating that line around 10 times and it just really started sinking in.. I mean, we hear it a lot during sermons, retreats, scripture readings, etc. But when i really started thinking about it scared me a lot.. A lot of the times we think these sort of messages really only apply to drug addicts or.. alcoholics.. or sexaholics and all those 'big' sins.. But like Sam said today, you can even apply it to.. homework! It applies to anything in our lives that we rely on to bring us happiness. It might be getting good marks to secure a better future, it might be having great friends and an exciting social life, etc. etc. It can b e all these great things.. But no matter what it is we'll alwyas be left unsatisfied if we dont have the living water that only Jesus offers.. So let's remember that in our daily lives, especially since school is starting and I bet that different temptations and patterns come with that..

Sam also said the word awkward around 20 times today during his sermon.. haha and he really stressed the importance and significance of awkwardness in finding Jesus.. And I think today was a great example when I brought my friend Mimi.. I think a lot of people were awkward on different levels.. She was awkward coming into a church (which she sometimes associates with cults..we'll have to change that perception haha), meeting new people, etc. (She gets really freaked out when we all pray out loud, btw. hahah we'll have to change that too).. And I'm sure you guys felt awkward trying to talk to her, keep up a conversation and make her feel welcome.. (And I want to say thank you all for making an effort, you did a great job and when we left she said that everyone was really friendly and she liked church today ) And even i was awkward trying to make everyone else feel less awkward. hahaha
But that awkwardness is inevitable because Christianity is never really 'comfortable'.. When we're trying to reach out to new people, show God's love, there's bound to be awkward moments because we're crossing the line of social boundaires.. we're not "sticking to the confinements of the rules!" haha but if we can just learn to look past that and accept the awkwardness, so many great things can happen and we can really share God's love and expand his kingdom...
So yeah that's my two cents on Sam's sermon today.. And I hope next sunday will be awkward too and mimi will come out again

great devos guys!

OH MY GOODNESS, GUYS!!! I JUST DID MY DEVO AND I CLOSED THE WINDOW BY ACCIDENT B4 I UPLOADED IT....
IT WAS RELE LONG BUT SORRY GUYS BUT I SWEAR ON MY LIFE I DID IT!!! OH GOSH, WHAT HAVE I DONE!!
all i'm gonna say is i started b4 cathy uploaded hers...